Chapter 19 - What D'artagnan Went To Paris For

The lieutenant dismounted before a shop in the Rue des
Lombards, at the sign of the Pilon d'Or. A man of good
appearance, wearing a white apron, and stroking his gray
mustache with a large hand, uttered a cry of joy on
perceiving the pied horse. "Monsieur le chevalier," said he,
"ah, is that you?"

"Allow me to send off this coffee, this treacle, and these
raisins," said Planchet; "they are for the store-room of
monsieur le surintendant."

"Send them off, send them off!"

"That is only the affair of a moment, then we shall sup."

"Arrange it that we may sup alone; I want to speak to you."

Planchet looked at his old master in a significant manner.

"Oh, don't be uneasy, it is nothing unpleasant," said
D'Artagnan .

"So much the better - so much the better!" And Planchet
breathed freely again, whilst D'Artagnan seated himself
quietly down in the shop, upon a bale of corks, and made a
survey of the premises. The shop was well stocked; there was
a mingled perfume of ginger, cinnamon, and ground pepper,
which made D'Artagnan sneeze. The shop-boy, proud of being
in company with so renowned a warrior, of a lieutenant of
musketeers, who approached the person of the king, began to
work with an enthusiasm which was something like delirium,
and to serve the customers with a disdainful haste that was
noticed by several.

Planchet put away his money, and made up his accounts,
amidst civilities addressed to his former master. Planchet
had with his equals the short speech and the haughty
familiarity of the rich shopkeeper who serves everybody and
waits for nobody. D'Artagnan observed this habit with a
pleasure which we shall analyze presently. He saw night come
on by degrees, and at length Planchet conducted him to a
chamber on the first story, where, amidst bales and chests,
a table very nicely set out awaited the two guests.

D'Artagnan took advantage of a moment's pause to examine the
countenance of Planchet, whom he had not seen for a year.
The shrewd Planchet had acquired a slight protuberance in
front, but his countenance was not puffed. His keen eye
still played with facility in its deep-sunk orbit; and fat,
which levels all the characteristic saliences of the human
face, had not yet touched either his high cheek-bones, the
sign of cunning and cupidity, or his pointed chin, the sign
of acuteness and perseverance. Planchet reigned with as much
majesty in his dining-room as in his shop. He set before his
master a frugal, but perfectly Parisian repast: roast meat,
cooked at the baker's, with vegetables, salad, and a dessert
borrowed from the shop itself. D'Artagnan was pleased that
the grocer had drawn from behind the fagots a bottle of that
Anjou wine which during all his life had been D'Artagnan's
favorite wine.

"Formerly, monsieur," said Planchet, with a smile full of
bonhomie, "it was I who drank your wine; now you do me the
honor to drink mine."

"And, thank God, friend Planchet, I shall drink it for a
long time to come, I hope; for at present I am free."

"Free? You have leave of absence, monsieur?"

"Unlimited."

"You are leaving the service?" said Planchet, stupefied.

"Yes, I am resting."

"And the king?" cried Planchet, who could not suppose it
possible that the king could do without the services of such
a man as D'Artagnan.

"The king will try his fortune elsewhere. But we have supped
well, you are disposed to enjoy yourself; you invite me to
confide in you. Open your ears, then."

"They are open." And Planchet, with a laugh more frank than
cunning, opened a bottle of white wine.

"Leave me my reason, at least."

"Oh, as to you losing your head - you, monsieur!"

"Now my head is my own, and I mean to take better care of it
than ever. In the first place we shall talk business. How
fares our money-box?"

"Wonderfully well, monsieur. The twenty thousand livres I
had of you are still employed in my trade, in which they
bring me nine per cent. I give you seven, so I gain two by
you."

"And you are still satisfied?"

"Delighted. Have you brought me any more?"

"Better than that. But do you want any?"

"Oh! not at all. Every one is willing to trust me now. I am
extending my business."

"That was your intention."

"I play the banker a little. I buy goods of my needy
brethren; I lend money to those who are not ready for their
payments."

"Without usury?"

"Oh! monsieur, in the course of the last week I have had two
meetings on the boulevards, on account of the word you have
just pronounced."

"What?"

"You shall see: it concerned a loan. The borrower gives me
in pledge some raw sugars, on condition that I should sell
if repayment were not made within a fixed period. I lend a
thousand livres. He does not pay me and I sell the sugars
for thirteen hundred livres. He learns this and claims a
hundred crowns. Ma foi! I refused, pretending that I could
not sell them for more than nine hundred livres. He accused
me of usury. I begged him to repeat that word to me behind
the boulevards. He was an old guard, and he came: and I
passed your sword through his left thigh."

"Take only twelve," said D'Artagnan, "and call the rest
premium and brokerage."

"You are right, monsieur; but to your business."

"Ah! Planchet, it is very long and very hard to speak."

"Do speak it, nevertheless."

D'Artagnan twisted his mustache like a man embarrassed with
the confidence he is about to make and mistrustful of his
confidant.

"Is it an investment?" asked Planchet.

"Why, yes."

"At good profit?"

"A capital profit, - four hundred per cent., Planchet."

Planchet gave such a blow with his fist upon the table, that
the bottles bounded as if they had been frightened.

"Good heavens! is that possible?"

"I think it will be more," replied D'Artagnan coolly; "but I
like to lay it at the lowest!"

"The devil!" said Planchet, drawing nearer. "Why monsieur,
that is magnificent! Can one put much money in it?"

"Twenty thousand livres each, Planchet."

"Why, that is all you have, monsieur. For how long a time?"

"For a month."

"And that will give us - - "

"Fifty thousand livres each, profit."

"It is monstrous! It is worth while to fight for such
interest as that!"

"In fact, I believe it will be necessary to fight not a
little," said D'Artagnan, with the same tranquillity; "but
this time there are two of us, Planchet, and I shall take
all the blows to myself."

"Oh! monsieur, I will not allow that."

"Planchet, you cannot be concerned in it; you would be
obliged to leave your business and your family."

"The affair is not in Paris, then?"

"No."

"Abroad?"

"In England."

"A speculative country, that is true," said Planchet, - "a
country that I know well. What sort of an affair, monsieur,
without too much curiosity?"

"Planchet, it is a restoration."

"Of monuments?"

"Yes, of monuments; we shall restore Whitehall."

"That is important. And in a month, you think?"

"I shall undertake it."

"That concerns you, monsieur, and when once you are engaged
- - "

"Yes, that concerns me. I know what I am about;
nevertheless, I will freely consult with you."

"You do me great honor; but I know very little about
architecture."

"Planchet, you are wrong; you are an excellent architect,
quite as good as I am, for the case in question."

"Thanks, monsieur. But your old friends of the musketeers?"

"I have been, I confess, tempted to speak of the thing to
those gentlemen, but they are all absent from their houses.
It is vexatious, for I know none more bold or more able."

"Ah! then it appears there will be an opposition, and the
enterprise will be disputed?"

"Oh, yes, Planchet, yes."

"I burn to know the details, monsieur."

"Here they are, Planchet - close all the doors tight."

"Yes, monsieur." And Planchet double-locked them.

"That is well; now draw near." Planchet obeyed.

"And open the window, because the noise of the passers-by
and the carts will deafen all who might hear us." Planchet
opened the window as desired, and the gust of tumult which
filled the chamber with cries, wheels, barkings, and steps
deafened D'Artagnan himself, as he had wished. He then
swallowed a glass of white wine and began in these terms:
"Planchet, I have an idea."

"Ah! monsieur, I recognize you so well in that!" replied
Planchet, panting with emotion.